Travel + Dining
Best Cards for Dining Rewards
That Also Work for Travel
Updated 26 March 2026
The strongest dining rewards cards also tend to earn well on travel and carry useful perks like no foreign transaction fees and transferable points. Here is how the leading options compare for someone who wants both.
Why Dining and Travel Rewards Pair Well
Dining abroad earns just as much
Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold earn their full restaurant rate at eating places worldwide, not just in the US. When you are traveling and spending at restaurants every day, the dining bonus rate compounds quickly. A one-week trip with $60 to $100 daily in restaurant spend can earn 1,000 to 2,800 bonus points compared with a flat-rate card.
Transferable points multiply dining value
Cash back from a dining card is simple and predictable. Points from Chase, Amex, or Capital One can be transferred to airline programs where they may be worth 1.5 to 2 cents each rather than 1 cent. For a heavy diner earning 50,000 points per year, the difference between 1 cent and 1.8 cents per point is $400 in extra value.
Card Profiles: Dining Meets Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Editors PickTravelers who dine out frequently and want flexible points
$95/yr
Dining Rate
3x at restaurants worldwide
Travel Rate
5x on Chase Travel, 2x on all other travel
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Lounge Access
No lounge access
Transfer Partners
14 airline and hotel partners
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Frequent travelers who eat at restaurants globally
$550/yr
Dining Rate
3x at restaurants worldwide
Travel Rate
10x on Chase Travel hotels and car rentals, 3x on other travel
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Lounge Access
Priority Pass Select (1,300+ lounges worldwide)
Transfer Partners
14 airline and hotel partners
American Express Gold Card
Heavy restaurant spenders who also fly regularly
$250/yr
Dining Rate
4x at restaurants including takeout and delivery
Travel Rate
3x on flights booked direct or via Amex Travel
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Lounge Access
No lounge access (Platinum required)
Transfer Partners
21 airline and hotel partners
Capital One Venture X
Travelers who want lounge access and a flat earn rate on dining
$395/yr
Dining Rate
2x miles on all purchases including dining
Travel Rate
10x on hotels and car rentals via Capital One Travel, 5x on flights
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Lounge Access
Capital One Lounges + Priority Pass
Transfer Partners
15 airline and hotel partners
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Budget-conscious travelers who also dine out regularly
No Annual Fee
Dining Rate
3x at restaurants
Travel Rate
3x on travel, gas, transit, and streaming
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Lounge Access
None
Transfer Partners
None (fixed value redemption only)
Using Dining Points for Travel Redemptions
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers
Points earned dining out on a Sapphire card transfer 1:1 to United, Southwest, British Airways, Hyatt, and other partners. Transferring to Hyatt for hotel redemptions can yield 2 to 3 cents per point. Dining points that might be worth $600 as cash back can become $1,200 to $1,800 in hotel stays.
Amex Membership Rewards transfers
Amex Gold points transfer 1:1 to Delta SkyMiles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and Singapore KrisFlyer, among others. Flying Blue frequently runs transfer bonuses of 20 to 30%, meaning 60,000 dining points could become 78,000 Flying Blue miles during a promotion.
No Foreign Transaction Fee Is Non-Negotiable
If you dine internationally, a foreign transaction fee of 3% will eat directly into your dining rewards. A card earning 3% at restaurants with a 3% foreign fee effectively earns nothing on international restaurant spend. All five cards profiled above have no foreign transaction fees. Avoid any dining card with a foreign transaction fee if you travel internationally at all.
Card earns at restaurants
3%
Foreign transaction fee
-3%
Net international dining return
0%
Our Recommendation by Traveler Type
Occasional traveler
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The $95 fee is offset by the sign-up bonus and 3x dining rate. Transfer partners provide flexibility without requiring commitment to one airline.
Frequent flyer
American Express Gold Card
4x at restaurants worldwide is unmatched at this price point. Amex has the deepest transfer partner network including multiple airline programs.
Budget traveler
Wells Fargo Autograph
3x on dining and travel with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Strong base card for someone not ready to pay an annual fee.